A place embody King Sejong's aspirations. the story of Leedorim.

Why did Leedorim fall for King Sejong?

A place where Inwangsan can be seen beyond the rooftop.

A place with moss resembling a mountain in the middle of the cafe.

A place where a cafe receiving Blue Ribbons for 8 consecutive years and a vegan bakery selling out daily have joined forces.

Above all, located at the birthplace of King Sejong.

Leedorim, newly opened in Tongin-dong, is a cafe with many nicknames. As diverse in charm as its various nicknames, it has attracted many visitors since its opening, with continuous reviews on social media.

Among the various nicknames of Leedorim, one description particularly catches Popcorn’s eyes – ‘a café at King Sejong's birthplace’, themed around King Sejong. This piqued curiosity. Why among numerous themes, did they choose to focus on King Sejong? Unable to resist my curiosity, Popcorn promptly contacted Mrs. Kim Jiho, CEO of Leedorim. And did Iget an answer? Surprisingly, "Yes!" 😆

Why did Leedorim choose to focus on King Sejong, or even select Yi Do as its theme? Now, let me share the story told to me by the CEO.

 Chapter.1 

"If you could see the scene of history, that's all I needed."

2021 was an unforgettable year in the life of CEO Kim Jiho. It all started with an office relocation. While exploring various locations to move the office, CEO Kim was immediately captivated by a building on Jahamun-ro 43. Whether by chance or fate, She felt a strong attraction to the building right from the start. Without hesitation, She signed the contract for that building, unaware of what was inside Jahamun-ro 41.

That day started off like any other workday. About three months after the office relocation, the novelty of the new environment had begun to wear off. However, something seemed different that day. When CEO Kim was on her way to work, she found a flower basket placed by the roadside. Taking a closer look, there stood a monument engraved with "Birthplace of King Sejong." Suddenly, she glanced at her phone and realized it was October 9th—Hangul Day. In commemoration of Hangul Day, descendants of King Sejong had laid flowers at this small monument.

"At first, I just thought, 'Oh! King Sejong was born here?' and found it quite intriguing, that was all. But a few days later, I noticed a note posted in front of the monument urging everyone not to litter here. It felt like a slap in the face, made me realized that 'Oh, I really overlooked this place.' It's hard to put into words, but I felt deeply sorry and regretful."

The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, Goethe House in Frankfurt, and Ho Chi Minh's Birthplace in Hanoi are all well-preserved by foreign countries in honor of famous figures. However, the birthplace of the revered King Sejong in Korea had been so neglected, which deeply saddened her. CEO Kim hoped that the significance of this place would no longer be overlooked.

In fact, CEO Kim initially considered solutions that were more direct and practical than opening a cafe. However, the issue lies in the limitation of individual capacity. Moreover, she was concerned that such actions might tarnish the reputation of King Sejong or be misunderstood as commercial exploitation of a great figure, which could lead to criticism.

After careful consideration, CEO Kim arrived at a conclusion. "I cannot accomplish great things!" This was her conclusion. Does this mean the project ended there? Certainly not. Behind CEO Kim's determination was another statement: "I cannot accomplish great things! So I will focus on just one thing."

"I cannot accomplish great things! So I will focus on just one thing."

Her conclusion was that it wasn't necessary to achieve grandeur. The solemnity of history, the greatness of King Sejong, and the indifference of society—perhaps these were beyond one person's reach. Instead, CEO Kim decided to focus on one thing—making people see the historical sites that were once hurriedly passed by. To achieve this, CEO Kim decided to relocate her office once again and opened a cafe here that is absolutely impossible to ignore—Leedorim.

 Chapter.2  

"Recreating an era of peace and prosperity, providing a place of tranquility and vitality—that is Leedorim."

Do you know how long it usually takes to open a cafe? While it varies, it can be as short as about two weeks or generally takes around three to six months. But what about Leedorim? Surprisingly, it took a full three years of preparation before opening. 😯

When Popcorn asked what she had been doing during these three years, CEO Kim Jiho'sanswer was simple: "Learning."

CEO Kim explained that anything related to King Sejong was a subject of study. She visited the Korean Alphabet Museum, read extensively, and even watched movies and TV dramas about King Sejong's story. Of course, she did not do this alone. To fill her gaps and broaden her perspectives, she learned alongside other companies, writers, designers, planners, and even university students.

During this prolonged period of study, akin to a period of examination preparation, two questions never left CEO Kim's mind.

💭 What was King Sejong's greatest achievement?

💭 What was YI Do 's mood like at that time?

Of course, these questions do not have definitive answers, but after three years of exploration, CEO Kim came to her own understanding. She realized that King Sejong's greatest achievement was not the creation of Hangul, advancements in astronomy, or the invention of agricultural tools. King Sejong's foremost achievement was his spirit of benevolence. His deep compassion for his people formed the foundation of all his accomplishments.

While accumulating numerous achievements in pursuit of the people's well-being, King Sejong seemed to neglect himself. From the "Annals of King Sejong," it is known that he suffered from leg and eye ailments, endured swelling and modern-day illnesses like diabetes and epilepsy, which made it difficult for him to attend to state affairs for extended periods. Despite holding the highest power, he never experienced a moment of peace. It is said that his residence provided a sanctuary where his complex thoughts and weary body could find temporary rest.

CEO Kim, in commemorating King Sejong at the cafe, sought to capture these two key elements: King Sejong's spirit of benevolence towards the people and Yi Do's place of solace. Thus, Yi Do’s heartfelt intention transformed into the form of a forest, creating a space of tranquility and vitality called "Leedorim."

After hearing this story, I felt somewhat ashamed. In truth, before learning that "Leedorim" was a cafe conceptualized around King Sejong, I was unaware of this place. Even on my way here, I did not know it was King Sejong's birthplace, nor did I know there was a monument marking it. I visited out of curiosity about the space, but upon reflection, I feel somewhat regretful.

After listening to CEO Kim's explanation, I took another look around "Leedorim," and this space seemed even more distinctive. What were previously merely interesting structural elements now have a much more distinctive meaning. Particularly within these three spaces below, this sense of meaning feels even stronger.

⛰️ Natural Moss: The enclosed atmosphere of peace and prosperity continues to thrive.

Of course, while "Leedorim" focuses on King Sejong, originally this place, known as King Sejong's birthplace, was a famous site where many kings were born. It is considered a famous site not just because kings were born here, but also because in terms of feng shui, it is one of the highest-ranking sites. This is due to the resonance held by Inwangsan and Bugaksan, and the beautiful stream of the Suseong-dong River flowing between them, creating a perfect landscape of mountains and water. However, with the progress of modern society, the aura of the Joseon Dynasty's famous sites has gradually faded. In the process of urban development, the stream flowing through Suseong-dong has been covered over into an underground channel.

Leedorim seeks to recreate the ambiance of the prosperous era and the flowing aura of this site from 600 years ago. To achieve this, a large rock mountain has been installed between the first and second floors of the cafe, covered with authentic natural moss. Furthermore, real water flows over the moss and water vapor reintroduces the buried Suseong-dong stream back to the surface.

The moss-covered mountain at Leedorim not only symbolizes the revived atmosphere of the site from 600 years ago but also acts as a natural air purifier akin to dozens of air purifiers. The purified air produced by the natural moss helps keep our minds clear. CEO Kim hopes to harness the benefits of this moss to provide visitors with a comfortable rest and invigorating pleasure, reminiscent of Yi Do's visit to his ancestral home 600 years ago.

🟢 Time Loop: From Yi Do to King Sejong, 

documenting his entire life.

Immersed in the moss-covered Leedorim, the second floor houses an even more intriguing space. Circular structures are arranged in a straight line, as if they are leading into different dimensions of time. According to CEO Kim, this space is named "Time Loop," symbolizing the birthplace and life journey of King Sejong.

Whenever passing through the repeating circular structures, one can feel the passage of time, transitioning from spring to summer, then to autumn and winter, illustrating the progression from the dark ages before King Sejong's birth to the peaceful and prosperous era of his reign. Particularly noteworthy is how Leedorim utilized this pathway. This carefully crafted space, which should have been kept out of reach for protection, allows visitors to enter and walk along the path in person, reinforcing the message that people living in the modern era are able to travel back in time to the peaceful and prosperous era of King Sejong.

👀 Rooftop garden: Shift my gaze to Yi Do's perspective.

Leedorim meticulously conveys the intended message in every place. Even during a brief pause allows one to see and feel a lot. So, which area does CEO Kim Jiho, who designed such a charming space, favor the most?

In my heart, I secretly anticipated that the answer might be 'Natural Moss' or 'Time Loop.' However, the representative gave a completely unexpected response.

"Rooftop garden. If you go up to the rooftop, you can see Bugaksan and Inwangsan at a glance. Everything here has been rebuilt. Only those mountains retain the scenery from the time of King Sejong. I want everyone who visits Leedorim could see this scenery and I feel that it's a pity for one person to own it."

Whenever Yi Do, before becoming King Sejong, felt complicated emotions, he would often gaze at this landscape, which is now fully presented to visitors by Leedorim. It willingly becomes the messenger of the scenery, hoping that those who are physically and mentally exhausted can regain good energy and vitality. Additionally, CEO Kim has designed a clever detail: when you turn to the other side of the rooftop, you can directly overlook monument marking the "Birthplace of King Sejong," once again conveying the significance of this space to visitors.

Personally, the rooftop garden also left a deep impression on me. There are two places here that played a significant role. There are two places that played a significant role here.

The first is a pool in the center of the rooftop that reflects everything like a mirror. By coincidence, the weather was calm on the day of the interview, and the pool was completely still, perfectly reflecting the sky. Gazing at that tranquility, I felt a sense of sacredness.

The second is that the doors on the rooftop are very low. As someone who is relatively short, I have never truly paid attention to "mind your head" signs. However, even I had to slightly bow my head to pass through this door. I only understood the purpose of this deliberate inconvenience after reading the inscription beside the door.

"What you see is not everything, 

and what you know is not everything. Always maintain humility."

This need to bow one's head is precisely the important message that Leedorim wants to convey to modern people—the fundamental principle of respecting others.

 Chapter.3 

"We want to combine our strengths to present a flavor that matches Leedorim."

Typically, when someone invests a lot of effort into spatial design, the attention given to the menu often decreases. CEO Kim is well aware of her limited energy. Therefore, to fully dedicate herself to the space design, she sought out others who could put effort into the menu.

In fact, during the three years of preparing Leedorim, CEO Kim visited numerous cafes, personally searching for suitable partners. Initially, because this is the birthplace of King Sejong, she wanted to collaborate with traditional Korean cafes across the country and nearly visited all of them. However, her perspective changed after watching the movie " Forbidden Dream." In the film, King Sejong appoints Jang Yeong-sil, a talented individual opposed by other officials, and through this shift in thinking, they create Korea's first automated water clock—the Borugak Jagyeongnu. Inspired by this process, CEO Kim decided to overturn her own ideas. She decided to embrace foreign cultures that didn’t seem so Korean and collaborate with them to develop these into Korean brands.

This led her to meet the CEOs of Bloot Coffee and Vake.

At Bloot Coffee in Hongdae, they are renowned for their coffee flavors that have won the Blue Ribbon Award for eight consecutive years. They directly import green beans from overseas and roast them, dedicated to developing coffee that suits Korean tastes.

Meanwhile, Vake, located in Ilsan, is a leading vegan bakery brand. The owner of Vake has unique expertise in the field of vegan baking and even holds patents for their vegan baking techniques. It can be said that both their flavors and expertise are impeccable.

“If you ask me why I chose to collaborate instead of developing a menu independently, the answer is simple. Because they do it better than I do! I take pride in the spaces I create. Since I've created the best spaces, I believe they deserve to showcase flavors and quality that match them.”

“The identity of Bloot Coffee and Vake lies not in their style, but in the taste itself. I proposed that we collaborate because I believe they can integrate well into Leedorim and showcase the best flavors.”

Was CEO Kim's intuition correct? Visitors to Leedorim often initially show strong interest in this unique space, but they are quickly captivated by the exclusive gourmet desserts here, becoming regulars over time. All thanks to these two brands, which have developed and showcased specialty coffee beans perfectly aligned with Leedorim, demonstrating their original strength while seamlessly blending into Leedorim's style.

On the way to Leedorim, Popcorn saw several slogans conveying the message of "existing beyond what is seen." Before hearing the story of Leedorim, it was difficult to fully grasp the meaning of these slogans. However, by the end of the interview and departure, Popcorn seemed to have gained some understanding of the significance of these slogans.

Without Leedorim, perhaps we would never have known about King Sejong's former residence site and everything that began from here. Leedorim continues to pose questions, bringing all of this back into focus for us once again.

However, Popcorn believes that these questions extend beyond just King Sejong's story. The questions can also expand to: "Have you, who came here today, forgotten things that should not be forgotten in your busy daily life? Have you overlooked what is truly precious?"

Leedorim, a cafe that asks questions to those who forget precious things in their daily lives. Today's story will conclude with Popcorn's question about how Leedorim should be remembered and CEO Kim Jiho's representative's response:

"In the midst of the unfamiliar in daily life, the unseen emerges.

I hope Leedorim is remembered in this way."

LEEDORIM

📍 43 Jahamun-ro Jongno-gu Seoul

📍Open daily from 10:00 to 20:00

Customer Center

02 2135 9714

Bank Account. 

기업은행 024-086521-04-066

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